Machine for vending bottled beverages



July 22, 1941. M. H. VOIGTRITTER MACHINE FOR VENDING BOTTLED BEVERAGES Filed Oct. 21, 1957 7 Sheets-Sheet l July 22, 1941- M. H. VOlGTiQITTER MACHINE FOR VENDING BQTTLED BEVERAGES Filed Oct. 21, 1937 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 22, 1941. M. H. VOIGTRITTER 2,250,086

MACHINE FOR VENDING BOTTLED BEVERAGES Filed Oct. 21, 1937 '7 Sheets-Sheet 3 July 22, 1941. M. H. VOlGTRlTTER MACHINE FOR VENDING BOTI:LED BEVERAGES 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed OCQ. 21, 1957 y 1941- M. H. VOIGTRITTER 2,250,086

MACHINE FOR VENDING BOTTLED BEVERAGES I Filed Oct. 21, 1937 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 July 22, 1941. vo lT 2,250,086

MACHINE FOR VENDING BOTTLED BEVERAGES Filed Oct. 21, 1937 '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 July 22, 1941 M. H. VOIGTRI TTER MACHINE FOR VENDING BOTTLED BEVERAGES Filed'OCt. 21.,19s7 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 dig:

" Wi/i 4f Patented July 2:, 1941 roavannmano'rmn q navnu GES Max Hermann Volgtrltter, Chicago, m, assignor .to'Mills Novelty Company, Ohi

- v poration oi Illinois Application october' zl, 1

This invention relatesto vending machines considered in connection with the'accompanying. 1

I ventionis to provide a relatively inexpensive macago, lll., a cordrawings,'in which:

Fig. 113 a tront'elevation of a vending machine embodying my invention;

chineo! this type in which the refrigeration .may- I be accomplished, if desired, simply by a body of. refrigerated liquid in the lower regionof the storage compartment of a machine,,the machine.

being provided with means for successively removing a plurality, of bottles fromsaid body oi refrigerated liquid and presenting them to a delivery opening.

Another object of the inventionis to provide a vending machine of this type having a minimum heat leakage into the refrigeratedchamber through the bottle delivery opening. "Iothis end} thebottle delivery opening is'made only slightly larger than the cross-sectional area'ofthe bottle, and thebottle delivery mechanism is arranged'to move the bottle axially or longitudinally through said opening.

In line with the last-mentioned object, the invention also provides means for normally covering the I bottle delivery opening, said covering means being adapted to be engaged by the bottle as the latter moves through the opening and to be thereby pushed aside to allow the bottle to pass through the opening, and being further adapted to return to closing position as soon as the bottle vating it into the opening and for returning the elevator to its original position are operated by a continuous forward movement of a coin-controlled actuating mechanism and the supporting means serves to prevent the bottle from dropping back through the opening when the elevator"- is retracted.

Fig. 2 is a plan view r the same with the top removed;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal, vertical, sectional viewv through a portion of the same, taken just ahead theoperating box, the, side plate of the latter being removed to illustrate the mechanism therein; r

Fig. 4 is an elevational and sectional view (taken from front to back) of the coin-mechanism box showing also the operative connection of the coin mechanism with the conveying and vending mechanism in the body of the machine. Fig. 5 is a vertical, sectional view through the operating box, taken as indicated by the line 5-5 of Fig.- 4;

Fig. 6 is a detailed, sectional view through a portion of the operating mechanism, taken on line 8-4 of Fig. 4; I

Fig. '7 is a cross-section through Fig. 6, taken on the line 'I-l of Fig. 6;

a portion thereof being broken away and shown in section to illustrate the locking mechanism and empty" signal;

Fig. 9 is a horizontal, sectional view of a por-- ferent relative positions;

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the elevating mechanism;

Fig. 12 is a vertical, longitudinal, sectional view,

through a portion of the machine illustrating the elevating mechanism;

It isalso an object of the invention to provide an elevating mechanism that serves todisengage the bottle from the conveyor mechanism while I the bottle is being elevated. 7

Another object is to provide an appropriate will become apparent from the following detailed Fig. 13 is a view of certain of the parts shown in Fig. 12, the same being shown in difierent relative positions; V

Fig. 14 is a view of certain of said parts shown in still different positions;

. Fig. 15 is a transverse, sectional view through a portion of the machine illustrating details of the elevating mechanism;

Fig. 16 is a view of certain of the parts shown in Fig. 15, the same being illustrated in diflerent relative positions;

- means for guiding thebottle into delivery opening.

Other objects and advantages of the invention Fig. 1'7 is a view like Fig. 15 showing the parts in still different positions;

Fig. 18 is a cross-sectional view through the delivery mechanism;

line l9l! of Fig. 17;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the operating box,

- Fig. 19 is a horizontal, sectional view, taken on the Fig. 20 is a perspective view of the bottle supporting claw of the conveyor mechanism;

Fig. 21 is a perspective view of the elevator seat;

Fig, 22 is a plan view of the elevator seat;

Fig. 23 is a horizontal, sectional view of the bottle delivery mechanism, taken on the line 23-23 of Fig. 18;

Fig, 24 is a side elevation of certain parts employed for sliding the bottles laterally into registrywith the delivery opening; and

Fig. 25 is a plan view of the bottle wiping device. 7 1

Referring now to Fig. 1, the numeral 26 indicates a bottle storage cabinet or casing, supported upon legs 21 and having a removable top, comprising cover sections 32 and 33, hinged together at 34. The casing 26 has a bottom 29 (Fig. 3), end walls 30, and side walls 3| (Fig. 2),

- all of which are suitably insulated against conduction of heat into the interior of the casing.

Seated upon the upper edge of the walls 38 and 3| is a collar 35. Dependin from the collar 35 are a series of brackets 36 on which is supported a rail 31 of the conveyor mechanism, which will hereinafter be more fully described. This arrangement allows the conveyor mechanism to be lifted bodily from the casing.

The cover sections 32 and 33 have flanges 36 which rest upon the collar 35. Gaskets 39 and 40 may be employed between the casing and the collar 35 and between the collar 35 and the covers 32, 33, respectively.

The casing 26 is adapted to hold a body of cooling liquid, indicated at 4| in Fig. 3 and in the embodiment shown, an enclosure 42 is provided within the casing, and spaced from the respective side walls thereof, for holding a block of journaled in the brackets 41 and traveling upon the track 31, and a series of bottle supporting claws 49 (Fig. 20) secured to and depending from the chain 46 directly below the respective brackets 41.

The claws 49 are adapted to engage the necks of the bottles, indicated at 50, and to support the same partly immersed in the body of cooling liquid 4|, as shown in Fig. 3.

The chain 46 (Fig. 2) passes around a series of idler sprockets 52, 53, and 54, disposed in the four corners of the casing, respectively, and idler sprockets 51 and 58, which arrangement provides two reaches of the chain occupying the space between the ice compartment 42 and one end of the cabinet. A drive sprocket 55 is positioned between the sprockets 54 and 51 and an idler sprocket 56 is provided to hold the chain in engagement with said drive sprocket 55.

The operating mechanism includes a vertical shaft 59 (Figs. 2, 4, and 9) which extends from within the casing upwardly through the cover section 32 into the coin-mechanism box 69. The shaft 59, when released for rotation by the coin mechanism, which will hereinafter be more fully described, may be rotated by means of. a crank handle 6| on a shaft 62 journaled in the upper region of the box 60, and connected by means of a clutch 63 (Fig. 6) to a shaft 64 journaled in a bearing 65 (Fig. 4) and carrying a bevel gear 66 meshing with'a bevel gear 61 on the upper end 01' the shaft 59.

The clutch 63 comprisesa drum 68 secured to the shaft 64 as shown, a shoe 69 secured upon the shaft 62 by a pin 16, and a roller 1| urged into engagement with a depression 12 in the inside of a peripheral flange 13 of the drum 68, by means of .a compression spring 14 mounted in a cavity 15' in'the shoe 69. The compression of the spring 14 is regulated by an adjusting screw 16. In the event of an attempt to force the rotation of the crank handle 6| without unlocking the mechanism, the roller 1| will be forced out of the depression 12 and will ride against the interior of the flange 13, allowing the shaft 64 to remain stationary.

The shaft 59 is normally locked against rotation by a dog 11 (Fig. 9) pivoted upon a post 19 projecting upwardly from the bottom of the box 60, and normally extending into a notch in a collar 8| fixed upon the shaft 59. The dog 11 has a tail portion 82 which carries an upwardly projecting coin pocket 83 normally positioned to receive a coin from the lower end of the goodcoin chute 84 (Fig. 4). The good coins are separated from counterfeit coins, slugs, checks, etc., by means of a selector mechanism, indicated in Fig. 4 generally by the reference numeral 85. Unacceptable coins, slugs, etc., are rejected through a chute 86. The details of this mechanism are not shown since they form no part of the present invention but for a full disclosure of such a mechanism reference is made to pending application of Bert E. Mills, Serial No. 166,763, filed October 1, 1937.

Assuming now that a good coin has been received in the pocket 83 and that the customer has commenced to turn the handle 6|, the initial rotation of the shaft 59 will cause a lug 61, secured to the shaft 59, to engage a tail 88 on an arm 89 pivoted upon a post 90 projecting upwardly from the bottom of the box 60. The other end of the arm 89 carries a feeler pin 9i, which will be moved against the coin 92 in the pocket 83 by the swinging of the arm 89 caused by the initial movement of the shaft 59. The .coin 92 serves as a connecting medium for transmitting the movement of the arm 89 to the dog 11, thereby moving .the dog 11 out of the path of rotation of the collar 8| and allowing the shaft 59 to complete a full revolution, during which cycle of rotation 2. lug 93, indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 9, will engage against a finger 94 of a coin-supporting gate 95 normally held by a spring 96 in a position forming a bottom for the pocket 83 and supporting the coin 92 therein. As the finger 94 is thus engaged, the gate 95 will be swung to a position allowing the coin 92 to drop out of the pocket. Once the dog 11 has been lifted out of the notch 80, it will ride against the circular periphery of the collar 8| until the shaft 59 has nearly completed one revolution, thus allowing the' coin to be dispensed with before the cycle of revolution is completed.

The dog 11 is urged into locking position by a spring 91 secured at one end to the tall 82 and at its other end to a pin 98 projecting upwardly from the bottom of the box 69. The spring 96 is secured at one end to the gate 95 and at its other end to the pin 98. The releasing arm 89 is maintained normally in the position shown in Fig. 9

Fig. 12, whereupon the rollers I22 and I23 will by means of a spring 99 secured at one end to a pin I in the arm 89 and at its other end to the pin 98.

In the absence of a coin 92 in the pocket 83, attempt to rotate the shaft 59 will result in the pin 9| passing through an opening in the pocket 83, indicatcdin dotted lines at IOI in Fig. 10,

without aifecting the position of the dog 11. Consequently, the shaft 59 will remain further rotation.

Returning now to Figs. 2 and 3, the shaft 59 has at its lower end a lever including an arm I02 projecting in one direction from the shaft and an arm I03 projecting in the opposite direction. During the first half of the revolution of the shaft 59, the arm I02 will pull a link I04 in the direction indicated by the arrow I05, one end of said link I04 being pivoted to the end of the arm I02 and the other end-of the link I04 being pivoted to one arm of a bell crank lever I06, which is pivoted upon a shaft I0'I, at the lower end of which is loosely mounted the sprocket 55. The shaft I0'I is journaled in a bracket I08 supported by a frame I09 which carries the various sprockets I-58 hereinbefore described. On the shaft I0! is secured an arm IIO, to the end of which is pivoted a pawl III adapted, when the link I04 is moved in the direction I05, to advance through 90 of rotation a ratchet I I2, which is secured to the sprocket 55. Thus the sprocket 55 is rotated 90 and the conveyor chain 46 is advanced a distance corresponding to the distance between the bottle holders. 7

When the shaft 59 has completed a half revolocked against will engage an arm II 3 and swing the same about its pivot II4, causing a locking arm II5, rigidly associated with the arm II3, to enter between two teeth of the sprocket 55 and to prevent further rotation of the sprocket. This is to avoid overrunning of the conveyor mechanism in the event of too vigorous operation of the crank handle 6|.

As the shaft 59 proceeds into the second half of its revolution, the link I04 will commence to return to its normal position, retracting the dog III to the next tooth of the ratchet IIZ. At the same time, the arm I03, which carries at its end a roller II6, will approach and cause the roller II6 to engage a lug II! on the elevating mechanism, which will now be described. (See Figs. 11-14.)

Secured to one of the side Walls 3I' of the casing are a pair of bearing brackets H8 and H9, in which is slidably mounted a squared slide rod I20. To one end of the rod I20 is attached a fork I2I between the bifurcations of which are journaled pulleys I22 and I23. An elevator chain or cable I24 is secured at I25 to a yoke I26 formed integrally with the bearing II 9.-- thence passes around the pulley I22, pulley I2'I journaled in the yoke I20 in a fixed position. the pulley I23 and a pulley I28 also journaled in the yoke I26 in a fixed position, and thence is extended downwardly. To the lower end of the downwardly extending portion of the chain I24 is secured the elevator carriage I29, which has rollers I29a rollable on vertical rails I30 and has a bearing portion I3I slidably receiving a rod I32 fixedly associated with the slideways I30.

It will now be noted, by reference to Figs. 2 and 12 that as the shaft 59 continues to rotate, the arm I03 will move the elevator slide rod I20 in the direction indicated by th arrow I33 in extend the several loops of the chain I24, with which they in effect form a block-and-tackle arrangement, so as to elevate the carriage I29 at a rate four times as fast as the movement of the slide rod I20. This is for the purpose of securing sufficient vertical movement of the elevator.

Referring now to Figs. 15, 16, 17, and 18, it will be noted that the elevator carriage I29 moves in a plane closely adjacent to but just outside of the bottle-supporting claw 49 of the conveying mechanism. The carriage I29 has an integral seat I34 projecting laterally beneath the claw 49 and shaped in the form of a ring so that as it moves upwardly the depending claw 49 may pass entirely through it. As it proceeds upwardly, the elevator seat will engage a lower corner of the bottle 50 and its ensuing upward movement will cause the bottle to tip laterally as indicated by the arrow I35 (Fig. 15) so that the neck of the bottle will become disengaged from the supporting claw 49.

The lower region of the bottle will be moved laterally by a pusher (Fig. 24) in the form of a bell crank lever pivoted at I36 to the elevator carriage I29, having an arm I 31 normally depending between the bottle and the carriage I29, and an arm I38 extending at right angles to the arm I31 and adapted as the carriage I29 moves upwardly to engage a projection I39 (Fig. 12) attached to one of the rails I30. This will cause the arm I 31 to swing outwardly and push the bottle 50 laterally, causing it to ride down the inclined portions I40 of the seat I 34 until the bottle reaches the position shown in Fig. 17 in which the lower corner is engaged by the outer extremity of the seat I34.

As the bottle tips laterally, it is caught by a guide skirt I4I forming the lowerextremity of a guide sleeve I42 attached by means of a bracket I43 to the frame I09. The bracket I43 also serves to support the bottle-wiping squeegee. 45.

As the bottle is elevated, it will pass a gate I44 (Fig. 15) hinged at I45 to brackets 205 (Fig. 23) attached to the skirt MI and projecting through an opening I46 in the sleeve I42. thence pass into the sleeve I42. The purpose of the gate I44 is to prevent unauthorized removal of bottles from the machine. As the gate is moved laterally by the bottle at the upper limit of its opening. movement, it will engage a yieldable stop 203 pivoted at 204 to the brackets 205,

and will move the stop 203 outwardly against the pull of a spring 206 attached at one end to the stop 203 and at its other end to the sleeve I42. When the bottle is removed, the stop 203 will tip the gate I 44 back to a position from which it will drop to its normal horizontal position. It is supported in the latter position by hooks I41.

Hinged to opposite sides of the sleeve I42, and urged toward each other by a spring I92, are a pair of fingers I93, the lower ends of which are formed with hooks I41 projecting through openings I48 in the sleeve I42, said hooks being inclined upwardly so as to be sprung aside by the bottle as it moves upwardly and being then adapted to spring into place beneath the bottom of the bottle, as shown in Fig. 18, to support the same in the sleeve I42. In this position, as is shown in Fig. 17. the neck of the bottle projects upwardly through the opening 43 in the cover section 33 of the casing, and has lifted and spread apart sector-shaped closure members I49 which are hinged at I50 to the collar 44 and normally The bottle will close the opening 43. The bottle may then be grasped by the hand of the customer and pulled on throughthe opening 43.

The closure members I49 are primarily for the purpose of preventing escape of cooled air from the interior of the casing but they also tend to discourage attempts to abstract a bottle from the machine without operating the coin mecha-.

msm. Y

As the shaft 59 nears the completion of its revolution, the roller I I6 on the arm I03 will slip from the end of the lug I I1 of the elevator mechanism, whereupon the elevator carriage will descend by its own weight, returning the slide bar I20 to the normal position shown in Fig. 12.

During loading of the machine, the elevating mechanism is rendered inoperative by moving the lug II1 out of the path of the roller II6. To this end, the lug H1 is adjustably connected to the elevator slide rod I20 being formed integrally with a yoke II (Figs. 11-14), the ends I52 of which form bearingsin which the rod I20 is slidably mounted. The yoke I5I is normally maintained in the position shown in Fig. 12 by means of the coil spring I53 engaged at one end against a member I52 and at its other end against the collar I54 attached to the rod I20. A bar I 55 attached to the yoke I 5|, as shown in Fig. 11, is provided with a finger engaging member I56 by means of which the yoke I5I may be pulled forwardly with respect to the rod I20, compressing the spring I53, until the relative positions shown in Fig. 13 areattained. In this position, a hook I51 on the forward end of the bar I55 will be engaged by a lug I58 on a locking pawl I59. pivoted at I60 to the fork I2I of the slide bar I20. The pawl I59 is urged by a spring I6I into locking engagement with the hook I51, the latter being adapted to slide over the pawl and depress the same as the bar I55 is advanced. In this advanced position of the yoke I5I, the lug II1 will be removed from the path of movement of the roller I I6 so that the conveyor mechanism may be operated without operating the elevator mechanism.

In order that the drive shaft 59 may be continuously operated so as to advance the conveyor during the loading operation, the bar I55 is provided at its rear end (Figs. 10 and 13) with a hook I94 adapted, when the bar I55 is moved to loading position, to engage a lever I95 on the lower end of a camshaft I96 journaled in a bearing I91 formed in the bottom of the coin-mechanism box 60, and to rotate a cam I98 on the upper end of said shaft I96, into engagement with a tail member I99 on the dog 11, thereby moving the dog 11 out of the path of rotation of the collar BI, and allowing the shaft 59 to rotate freely. When, the bar I55 moves back to normal position, the shaft I96 is returned to normal position by a spring 200, one end of which is attached to a bracket I formed on the bearing I91 and the other end of which is attached to a pin 202 mounted in the shaft I96.

When the loading of the machine is completed, the elevator is again set for operation by simply dropping the cover 33, thelatter engaging a roller I62 on the end of the pawl.I59 and depressing the pawl so as to release the lug I58 from engagement with the hook I51, thus allowing the yoke I'5I to spring back to its normal position relative to the slide rod I20.

Turning now to Fig. 8, I provide means for locking the coin mechanism when the machine is about empty, and simultaneously showing a signal to indicate the empty condition. It com-' prises anarm I63 pivoted at I64 on the coin mechanism and having a finger I65 adapted to enter a slot I66 in the coin chute. The arm I63 is carried on one end of a sleeve I61 (Fig. 4) which is pivoted on a pin I68 carried by brackets I69. The other end of the sleeve I61 is attached I to an arm I10 having a roller I1I adapted to be engaged by alever I12 pivoted at I13 on one of the brackets I69. The lever I12 forms part of a T-shaped bell crank lever including an arm I14 engaged by a push rod I15. The other arm I16 of the bell crank lever is pivoted to a link I11 which projects upwardly and is pivoted at its upper end to a sector-shaped empty signal H8. The signal I18 is rotatably mounted at I19 on a bracket I and is visible through a window I8I in the cover I 82 of the coin box 60. A spring I83 urges the link I11 toward the upper limit of its movement, in which position the empty signal will be visible and the finger I65 will block the coin chute. The parts are normally maintained in inoperative position, however, by the push rod I15 being engaged by a bell crank lever I84 (Figs. 11 and 4) pivoted at I 85 to the side of the casing, normally held in raised position supporting the rod I 15, by means of a link I86.

One end of the link I86 is pivoted to the bell crank lever I84 and the other end (Fig. 4) is restrained by a fork I88, secured on the upper end of a rod I89 pivoted in the bracket I90 secured to the side of the casing and having in its lower end an arm I 9| adapted to ride against the necks of the bottles approaching the elevator mechanism (see Figs. 4 and 2). When the last bottle passes the arm I9I or when an empty conveyor claw reaches the arm I9I, the latter will move bodily under the urge of the spring I83 in the coin box, and will allow the coinlocking mechanism and empty signal to move into operative positions. The refilling of the machine will restore this mechanism to normal inoperative position.

the pocket 83 on the tail portion 82 of the locking dog 11.

The operator, after inserting the coin, oommences to turn the handle 6|. If no coin has been inserted, or if the coin has not been accepted by the selector mechanism, so that the pocket 83 remains empty, the initial rotation of the shaft 59 will cause the pin 9|, mounted in the end of the arm 89, to pass through the opening IOI in the pocket 83. The position of the dog 11 is not affected by this movement, and the dog 11 will remain in locking engagement with the notch 80 in the collar 8I fixed upon the shaft 59. By the time the pin 9| has been projected a predetermined distance through the opening IOI, the region of the collar 8i defining the end of the notch 80 will engage the dog 11 and further rotation of the shaft 59 will thereby be prevented. I

If the coin has been accepted and deposited in the pocket 83, the pin 9| will engage the coin and further movement will cause the dog 11 to be pivoted to a position releasing the collar 8| for further rotation.

During the first half of the revolution of the shaft 03, the arm I02 secured to the lower end thereof will pull the link I04 (FIB. 2) in the direction indicated by the arrow I05, pivoting the bell crank lever I03 and thereby causing the 5 pawl III to advance the ratchet II2 through ninety degrees of rotation. This causes the sprocket 00 to rotate so as to advance the conveyor chain 46 a distance corresponding to the distance between two adjacent bottle holders; As a result, the conveyor will advance a bottle to a position substantially beneath the delivery opening 43 and directly above the elevator seat I34.

This movement will cease when the arm I02 v v v the neck of the bottle projects through said openpasses the 180-degree point, the remaining movement of the link I04 being a retrograde one, serving to restore the pawl III to its initial p0 sition, ready for the next operation.

After the shaft 59 has completed a half revolution, the arm I03 of the operating lever will engage the lug III of the elevating mechanism. As the shaft 59 continues to rotate, the arm I03 will move the elevator slide rod I20 in the direction indicated by the arrow I33 in Figure 12, causing the elevator carriage I29 to move upwardly between the rails I30. The elevator seat I34 will then engage one side of the bottom of the bottle 50 and exert upward lifting movement against the bottle, causing the bottle to tip laterally toward its other side so as to disengage the neck of the bottle from the claw 49, and bring it into position directly beneath the delivery opening 43. The lower region of the bottle will, as the elevator carriage proceeds upwardly, be slid 35 laterally by the arm I31, down the incline I until the comer of the bottle is supported upon the outer extremity of the seat I34. 1

As the bottle tips laterally, it is caught by the guide skirt I4I, which guides it into theguide 40 sleeve I42 as the elevator continues to move the bottle upwardly.

As the bottle passes into the sleeve I42, it lifts the gate I44. When the elevator reaches its up- I per limit of movement, the bottle will have passed 45 completely into the sleeve I42, its upper end will be projecting through the delivery opening 43, and its lower end will have passed beyondthe supporting hooks I" which, after having been sprung aside by the bottle, will spring back into 0 position to prevent the bottle from dropping back with the elevator when the latter is released and allowed to drop back to its initial position. the elevator withdraws its support, the bottl will settle back upon the hooks I41 and be thereby I g movement, and a pusher pivoted to said carriage supported with its neck projecting through the delivery opening 43, until the customer removes it from the machine.

The elevator is released when the roller IIi of the arm I03, in the forward rotation of the latter, finally clears the lug III. The cycle of operation will then be complete and the machine will be ready for another operation.

, It will be understood that the foregoing detailed description is for the purpose of illustration only and is not to be taken aslimiting the scope of the appended claims to which reference should be had inorder to determine the true breadth of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a machine for vending bottled goods, a casing having a discharge opening in its tom I means comprising an overhead conveyor for supporting and conveying a plurality of bottles in sented and moving the same out of engagement with the conveyor-and upwardly to a position 1 wherein it is accessible to a-customer through said opening, and means operable from the exterior of the machine for actuating said convey-- ing and elevating means;

means for engaging a bottle thus presented and elevating the same axially to a position wherein ing so that it may be readily grasped in the hand of, a customer, closure means for said opening adapted'to be lifted by the bottle as the latter approaches said position, said closure means comprising a plurality of rigid sectors hinged to the periphery of said opening 'andproi'ecting toward the axis thereof so as to close said opening when no bottle is present therein, and actuating mechanism under the control of the operator for operating said presenting and elevating means.

3. In a machine for vending bottled goods, a casing having a discharge opening, means for supporting and conveying a plurality of bottles so as to present said bottles successively adjacent the opening, said conveying means being. disposed in.

. tomer for actuating said conveyor.

4. In a machine for vending bottled goods, a casing having a discharge opening in its top, a conveyor for successively presenting a plurality of bottles beneath said opening, an elevator including a laterally projecting seat adapted to engage one side of the bottom of the bottle thus presented, and to move the bottle laterally out of engagement with the conveyor while lifting the bottle a guide opposed to said seat -in position to receive the bottle as the latter is moved laterally and to guide the bottle into-said opening during the elevating process, and means under the control of the customerfor actuating said conveyor.

5. In a machine for vending bottled goods, a casing having a delivery port in its top wall, an elevator for raising bottles to said delivery port, including a vertically movable carriage having a seat adapted'to engage the bottom of the bottle, means for guiding. said carriage in its vertical and adapted to engage a fixed portion of the machine during upward movement of the carriage and to thereupon swing-outwardly and move the bottle laterally.

6. In a machine for vending casing having a delivery port, means for conveying bottles so as to present them successively to conveying means, then moving said horizontal slide so as to raise the elevator, then releasing saidslide to allow the elevator to drop.

7. In a machine for vending bottled goods, a

, upright positions so as to present said bottles successively to a point substantially beneath said opening, means for engagin a bottle thus prebottled goods, a g

the bottles from the conveying means to the port, said elevator including a vertically reciprocable bottle supporting carriage, a reciprocabie slide adapted to be moved in one direction by said operating member during a portion of each cycie of operation, and then allowed to return to its starting point and means connecting said slide to said carriage, adapted to raise said carriage at a rate multiplied with respect to the rate of move- 10 ment of the slide;

MAX HERMANN VOIGTRI'I'I'ER. 

